| Finding the person who owns an email address is | | | | amount of identifying information may be obtained. |
| challenging, particularly with the proliferation of free | | | | If properly administered, email servers should provide |
| webmail providers. Even so, various tools and | | | | standard addresses that can be used to contact an |
| techniques are available to help connect a random | | | | administrator responsible for the domain. Taking the |
| email address with a responsible party. | | | | site myemail dot com as an example, root often |
| The easiest way to determine whom is responsible | | | | sends to a person or group responsible for that |
| for a given email address is to use a reverse lookup | | | | server's continued functioning. Postmaster usually |
| tool such as emailfinder. While not always free, these | | | | sends to anyone responsible for mail delivery issues |
| tools vastly simplify the process by preparing and | | | | concerning Also, abuse [at] often sends to those |
| searching a vast index of addresses on social | | | | responsible for email abuse originating from the |
| networks and other sources, both public and those | | | | domain in question. While these contacts may not be |
| having special partnerships with the directory. In | | | | able to identify the owner of a particular address, if |
| many instances, such tools can provide a name, | | | | your issue is with unwanted communication from the |
| address and other identifying information associated | | | | person responsible, ending the contact may be more |
| with the email address. | | | | important than learning the person's identity. Also, |
| Another option is to enter the address into Google or | | | | when contacting these addresses for more |
| any other search engine. If the owner of the address | | | | information, be aware that the originator of the email |
| has made postings on public forums or mailing lists | | | | may not be the responsible party, as worms and virii |
| using it, said postings may be returned, though | | | | often send emails from an infected computer after |
| forums often change email addresses to be less | | | | hijacking it. |
| obvious to spammers. If found, however, such posts | | | | As a final step, the email headers often contain |
| might feature links to profiles containing other | | | | information that might help trace from where a |
| identifying information that might link the address to | | | | message truly originated. Many email clients include an |
| an individual. | | | | option to show all of a message's headers, which |
| The domain name of the email address, the part to | | | | should be enabled. When set, a number of additional |
| the right of the @, may also be a good indicator of | | | | headers become available that can help track a |
| where to look next. Often this only leads to a free | | | | message's path through the network. In particular, |
| email provider, though it may also indicate a | | | | pay attention to the "Received:" header, which can |
| corporate email server if the person is posting from a | | | | help identify from which internet service provider an |
| work account. Visiting the website associated with | | | | email originated. In cases of unwanted contact, a call |
| the domain might provide some clues as well. For | | | | to the ISP might help. Also, the "Return-path:" header |
| instance, if the email originates from a university or | | | | can sometimes contain a different address than the |
| large company, the site might link to a staff directory | | | | one listed in the "From:" header as displayed in your |
| searchable by email address, from which a large | | | | mail client. |